


The Kidnapping of Lucius Malfoy

by SummerLeighWind



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Children, Crushes, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Gen, Kidnapping, Politics, Pre-Marauders' Era, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-03-21 18:32:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3702035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerLeighWind/pseuds/SummerLeighWind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 1968 and trouble's brewing on the horizon. The squibs are starting to demand their rights, Nobby Leach has just stepped down due to a sudden illness and some witches and wizards are beginning to wonder if a group of elitists aren't responsible for the later...In fact, a few are more than certain that one wizard in particular is responsible and they're going to make him pay for his part - proven or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Abduction

"Are you ready?"

Looking into his dresser's mirror, Lucius finished buttoning his shirt and then rolled the sleeves up to his elbows before turning his gaze back to the flickering flames of his personal fireplace. Straightening his collar last, he said, "Yes, I'm nearly ready. Now let me make sure with Father that it's okay I go out today."

The face smoldering in the flames, still easily identifiable thanks to its squareness, couldn't hold back a glower, "Merlin! Really? We've been writing back and forth about this all week and you haven't even  _asked_ yet?"

Lucius scowled at the other, "Forgive me, Anthony, but unlike  _your_ father, mine is quite busy! This is the first time he has been home while I was awake since Tuesday!"

The face twisted and muttered, "Well, just hurry, would you? Wilkes and Vanity are talking about skipping out on us altogether over going to Bulstrode's for tea!"

Another face popped into the flames then, "Anthony's not exaggerating, either, Lucius!" Ethan complained, his small eyes squinted into little more than dashes due to his vexation.

"Alright, alright." The blond huffed as he ran a hand through his hair, "I'll be quick, tell the girls to not get their knickers in a bunch and that I'll pay for lunch if they wait!"

Anthony and Ethan grinned at him, "How kind of you Lucius, they might just start to think you actually  _like_ them..."

"You know, Ethan, if you did the same once in a while Emma might actually  _catch on_."

The teenager gave Lucius a mortified look, "Belt up! Right now, you tosser!"

Snickering, Lucius waved goodbye to their faces as he headed for his bedroom door, "I'll be back soon!"

Walking through the Malfoy Manor's halls, Lucius waved at several portraits as he passed them and hoped that when he got to his father's office, he'd let him in. Father was known to sometimes put a silencing charm on the door and not take it off until he was done with whatever it was that demanded all his attention so fully. After Mother died when he was little, sometimes his Father would put one on his office door just so he could wallow all alone in there.

Though once he started to realize Lucius was stubborn enough to sit outside his door for hours and hours just to see him, he stopped that practice and started coming out in time for dinner to make sure Lucius didn't waste away from refusing to move like he did.

However, over the last couple years his father had started to get back in to his bad habit of being absent, though, this time he wasn't hiding in his study any longer. Now days, Lucius's father disappeared to places unknown and left the teenager to guess on when he'd come home or if he was at Hogwarts, wondering when he'd get a letter from him.

Stopping in front of the dark brown door, Lucius hesitated, but with a sharp knock, he twisted the doorknob and stepped into the room.

"What is it, Lucius?" Abraxas demanded.

Staring at the hard-lined face of his father, the blond was made to question if the wrinkles had always been there or if they'd just recently begun to make themselves known. Maybe they were just more surprising to him because most of the year he was away at school and not at home to experience their slow burrowing into his father's fair skin.

Stone grey eyes snapping to the teenager, Lucius's father demanded again, "What is it?"

"Ah, I was wondering if it would be fine with you if I went out with a few mates instead of staying here today..."

Snorting Abraxas dipped his quill in a bottle of ink and wagged the feather-end at his son. "Come now, Lucius, you'll be  _fifteen_ this year! You needn't ask me every time you want to go out for permission. You're old enough to decide what's a good idea and a bad one, if you want to go out, do so! If you'd rather stay home, do so!

"Don't bother me again about such petty things, understand? Now, if that's all, you may leave. I am quite busy right now," he told his son.

Gaping at his father for a moment, Lucius, oddly hurt by the rebuff and the obvious disinterest his father had in what he did, snapped, "Fine! I  _will_ make all my own decisions from now on! In fact, when I run off to join the circus instead of going back to Hogwarts at the end of the summer, you can hear it second-hand from the Burkes or someone!"

Turning heel then, the teenager stomped off and slammed the door behind him on his way out.

Abraxas gave a snort after his son's departure and murmured to himself, "A carnival? He's not a very original lad, I must say..."

-v-v-v-v-v-

There were mothers dragging their young children up and down the alley, Ministry officials going to lunch, Peddlers shouting and waving their products in the air and just like them, other groups of teenagers roving from shop to shop, talking loudly and laughing as they go. It was unusually busy, Lucius thought as Emma and Theresa shrieked at something Ethan had said. Thinking on why that could be as he unstuck hair from his face, the blond paused in his action. That was probably why - today was oddly warm and people must be out attempting to enjoy it.

"Oh! Oh! Look at that pig!" Theresa giggled.

Lucius looked with the rest of the group, under the awning of the Junk Shop was a large middle-aged woman. Her face was shiny with sweat and she looked like she wanted to sit down, but when Lucius looked to the sign grasped in her fat fingers, he knew she would not - or at least not on her own.

Anthony gave a sneer, "Ugh. I hate those stupid squib rights supporters. Why should they get an education on Magic? It's not like they're ever going to use it!"

"Hear, hear!" Emma giggled, "Do you think she's a witch or squib?"

Lucius didn't even need to consider his answer before he said, "She's definitely a squib, I mean, if she were a witch she'd have cast a cooling charm on herself by now!"

Ethan grinned wickedly at his friends, "Hey, want to have a good laugh?

Seeing the dimples that usually appeared in Ethan's cheeks when he was about to cause trouble, Lucius questioned, "How?"

"I was thinking I could steal her sign and run off with it," the boy replied with an excited rise in pitch to his unrefined voice.

Emma covered her mouth in an attempt to cover her glee at the idea. "No! That'd be too mean!" she half-giggled as she scolded him.

"No it wouldn't!" Theresa disagreed. "I mean, look at her, a good run would do her and her big bum some good!" she declared with a haughty flip of her black curls.

Anthony dove into the discussion then, hooking one arm around Ethan's neck and using the other to bring the closest girl - Emma - close, he said, "You know what'll be even better? If you get that sign, Ethan, we can play some keep away. What do you lot think of that, eh?"

The conspiratorial glint in his brown eyes would have undoubtedly done Albus Dumbledore himself proud.

However, Lucius wouldn't notice as he'd had trashed the idea almost a whole minute ago. Instead, the blond was plotting how he could work his way over to the familiar girl who'd just stepped out of the sweet shop with her sister a few storefronts down while still being casual about it. After all, it wouldn't do for him to make a fool of himself by hurrying over to where Narcissa was chatting with her sister; she'd think he was desperate then.

And if there was anything Lucius knew, it was Malfoys weren't supposed to ever look desperate.

"-so Lucius?"

He blinked, "Hm...?" he murmured.

Following the blond's gaze, Ethan rolled his eyes, "Oh, it's  _Narcissa_."

Theresa crossed her arms and pouted. "I don't know what you see in her, Lucius, she's just a big tart, if you ask me!"

"Oh  _really_? Are you sure about that, Theresa? Or is it because you  _fancy_ a certain someone?" Emma teased.

The darker haired girl gave a shrill squeak and hissed, "Oh you! Don't say such silly things like that aloud!" Turning big eyes on Lucius she pleaded, "Don't mind her, she's just teasing."

"Sure," Lucius agreed diplomatically. Yes, Theresa was rather pretty. Yes, her family was a good one. Yes, he thought she was witty. But...she could not hold a candle to the perfection that was Narcissa Black.

"So, mate? You in or are you out?" Anthony demanded impatiently as he and Ethan began to restlessly sway from anticipation of what they were about to do.

Lucius waved them off. "No, sorry. I think I'll just meet up with you all at Rosa Lee's in a half hour..."

Shrugging, Ethan gave a smirk, "Your loss, Lucius!" And with that, he dashed off toward the fat woman with Anthony not far behind.

Looking to the girls, he asked, "Are you two going to join in?"

Emma shook her head, "I still think it's too mean."

"Besides, this will be a lot more fun to watch," Theresa chirped with a wide smile.

A squalling began across the street, the fat woman was screaming at Ethan and Anthony as they used their youth and speed against her by keeping the squib's right sign just out of reach as they made her run after them for she'd lost it already to their antics.

Squeezing Emma's arm, Lucius said, "See you."

"Bye!" the girls chorus before they break into laughter as the squib-woman falls to the ground as she made a grab for the back of Anthony's robes.

Not able to hide a smirk of his own, Lucius allowed himself a quick snort before schooling his features into something casual as he stuck his hands in his pockets. Keeping his eye on Narcissa as she gabbed with her older sister, Andromeda, Lucius turned his gait into something akin to a quick saunter as he made his way over to the pretty girl.

-v-v-v-v-v-

Garrick Ollivander didn't have a lot of time as he watched Abraxas Malfoy's child separate from his friends. Reaching for his Protean charmed quill, Garrick activated it and prayed to every higher power that Carl Max was  _paying attention._ Following the boy with his eyes, Garrick watched the blond. He looked as cool and confidant as his father, but unlike Abraxas Malfoy, the boy couldn't hide the eager lean of his body. It was obvious he was heading toward something that interested him.

It was also probably why he wasn't helping those nasty boys with tormenting poor Claire a few shops down.

Tensing as Lucius stepped in front of the alleyway where Carl was hiding, Garrick sucked in a breath.

"No..." he whispered as he watched Malfoy's son abruptly raise his hand up as if to call out to someone when Carl came swooped out of the adjacent shadows.

Heart thudding wildly in his chest, he saw the boy struggle briefly before both he and Carl were gone. Releasing a deep sigh then, Garrick cast a furtive eye down the street and hoped that whoever the blond had been calling out to hadn't heard him in the day's busy din.


	2. Chapter 2

Abraxas wondered why, despite a fire burning a few feet away, he was struck with a sudden chill. The Malfoy manor had a tendency to lean toward being cool, but it was never so frigid he was made to shiver in the summer. Thumbing the fabric of his button-up, he wondered if he was becoming sick; it was just about time for one of his biannual illnesses.

But this chill, it didn't  _feel_ right.

It was the sort of chill he'd felt just before he learned about his wife's fall that would lead to the subsequent discovery of the illness that killed her. This was the sort of shiver he felt years ago, when he was just out of Hogwarts, before his favorite uncle was arrested for the murder of Abraxas's grandfather. It was the cold that had frozen him still as a young boy right before he was told of his childhood mate's untimely death after said mate was lost to the sea while swimming on holiday.

This sudden chill, it was the bad sort. It was much worse than any other he felt right before he got sick, but Abraxas knew with terrible horror he was stuck waiting until someone came to tell him the latest tragedy of his life. If he were lucky, it would have to do with being caught for being involved in Leach's stepping down from office. Yes, he'd be in the bad books for a while, but he was good at getting out of slippery situations and he'd have it swept beneath the rug in a few years time after he threw enough money around and made some small, repentant gestures.

If Abraxas was unlucky...he shivered.  _Merlin, please let it not be Lucius,_ he prayed silently to the divine powers above him. He'd do anything for it not to be his son, anything and everything to ensure his boy stayed safe and hale.

Abruptly, the man was pulled from his musings when one of his guests' glasses clanked a little too loudly as it hit the marble top of his desk. "I heard they're going to have a  _march_ modeled after _muggles_ of all things!" Nott spat with disgust as he poured himself another glass of Abraxas's scotch.

Tom laughed at their compatriot's complaining. "It'll never get off the ground. With Leach out of office they don't have any political backing and without that, what witch or wizard in their right mind would pay them any attention?" Turning his head toward him, Tom's red eyes gleamed, "Don't you agree, Abraxas?"

"Yes," he answered. "Mostly."

The two men postured themselves a little higher up in their seat at that; their keen, Slytherin ears had caught the distracted hedging at the end and Abraxas could have cursed himself for it. If only he wasn't waiting for the life-rattling call, he internally bemoaned.

Bringing his hands together, Tom leaned in on Abraxas's desk and inquired with a sharp edged, "What do you  _mean_ mostly, Abraxas?"

"Exactly that, I agree  _mostly_ , Tom," he grumble. "We might have taken out Leach, but that doesn't mean there weren't sympathizers in the Ministry. In fact, I know very well Lisa Brown, the _Assistantv_ Head of to the Department Head of Magical Law Enforcement, agreed with Leach. She's a vocal woman, you know, if squibs want to march, she's going to be there helping them right along and roping in her own band of aurors to keep them safe."

A peaceable look came to Tom's face at the end of Abraxas's argument. "Oh, yes,  _her_. However, I believe there's nothing to worry about, I have my own men among them in the department. I'm sure they'll be able to persuade away any gullible aurors from joining in on her crusade."

"What if they don't?" Nott asked his blue-green eyes slightly glazed as he worked on pouring himself his fourth glass of scotch.

Tom gave his cutting grin at their almost drunk compatriot. "Then, we'll be finding a way to make her step down as well."

"I don't think she has illegitimate children - or even an affair, for that matter," Abraxas sighed as he took the bottle away from Nott to top off his own.

The look the red-eyed man gave him was scathing. "Isn't someone being obtuse today? Adultery is not the only shameful offense you can threaten to reveal to make a person leave their position."

"It is for Malfoys," Abraxas shot back.

This drew a chuckle from Nott. "Some of us are a little easier to shame than you Malfoys, you know."

He could have rolled his eyes, but he didn't. He didn't like Nott on a good day, but when the arse was in his house, downing his good scotch like a fish, he absolutely  _loathed_ him. It was likely the reason why the prat was here, though, Tom did love needling people and what better way to get under Abraxas's skin than to bring the person he liked least out of Tom's graduating class to  _his_ home? None! There was no better and the only way the blond ever felt he'd get Tom to stop was to quit reacting to Nott when he was being irritating.

Clearing his throat, Abraxas was going to move them away from talking about Malfoy family values and onto their backup plan if Tom's brutes weren't enough to stop aurors from joining in on the marches. But, before they could even start to devise any more plans or discuss others who might get in the way of their campaign to purify their world, the flames in his study's hearth flared to life.

A familiar regal face came to life in the flames. Abraxas felt his gut twist. The chill's foreshadowing was coming to fruition, it seemed. It also appeared despite his deepest hopes, he would not be lucky enough to have his son spared. Had Lucius's outing included the youngest Black daughter?

"Cygnus!" Tom greeted at Abraxas's failure to. "What's brought you calling?"

The man eyed them all in his lofty way; his gaze narrowed and head held up as he often did when he felt his contemporaries were failing to behave with a decorum expected of men of their class the before saying, "It is my youngest daughter. She says she saw your son taken by a hooded figure."

Abraxas felt his stomach drop. "What?" he gaped. This was possibly far better and worse than he had expected when the sudden cold had struck him. What his son being taken meant was there were two equal paths this event could take, it could end in his son coming home safe or it could end with his son coming home in a casket.

Already plotting all the ways he could ensure the first, Abraxas nearly missed Cygnus talking.

"-cissa's quite worked up. Andromeda didn't see it, but from what she said, it seems there was quite a big commotion going on when it happened," he continued.

Standing up, Abraxas staggered out from behind his desk and demanded, "You, come here with your daughter. Now."

Cygnus raised an eyebrow and if it weren't for the fact he and the dark-haired man could be bonded in a matter of a few years through the marriage of their children, Abraxas would have bared his teeth. The man's seeming nonchalance about the situation was vexing and if it weren't for the fact Cygnus knew more than he, Abraxas would truly consider throttling the arse.

"Of course, Abraxas," Cygnus agreed.

A little over a minute later, the man and his daughter were in his study. Coming to stand before them, Abraxas took in Cygnus and his daughter's appearance. The man looked tired and just a little more wide-eyed than usual and his hand continued to rest on the back of his daughter's neck even though they'd stepped out of the floo over a minute ago now.

Cygnus was not known as physically affectionate man, but here he was keeping a steady hand on his youngest daughter. The girl, for her part, was bravely holding her head high even as her red eyes gave away her true feelings about what she had witnessed. Sighing, Abraxas conjured forth two more seats and called out, "Tully!"

"Yes, Mister Abraxas?" a bug-eyed house-elf inquired upon appearance.

Face severe and voice demanding, he ordered, "I need a pot of tea made and a cup for Miss Black and-" he bit back a sigh, "Another bottle of scotch."

"Yessir," the elf agreed and with another pop she was gone.

Gesturing to the two empty chairs, Abraxas said, "Take a seat."

The Blacks did and a moment later, Narcissa was being handed a cup of tea by Tully who'd reappeared.

"An' the scotch, sir," Tully finished as she put the bottle of amber in his hands.

Nodding as he wrapped his fingers around the familiar glass neck, Abraxas declared, "That is all."

A curtsey and the creature was gone - leaving the men to question the girl who'd witnessed Lucius's kidnapping.

"Would you please explain to me, Miss Black, what you saw?" Abraxas inquired softly as the girl finished taking a sip of her tea.

Taking a quiet breath, the girl looked to her father. Cygnus nodded at the young teenager and with a small relaxing of her shoulders, Narcissa began her short tale.

"Andromeda and I had just finished buying some sugar quills and we were standing outside debating about where to go to next when one of those squib right supporters started shouting. I saw Mulciber and Burke running away with her sign and Andromeda had begun to mutter about them being awful people when I heard-" she took a deep breath and bit her quivering lip. "I heard someone call my name."

Bringing her wide eyes to meet Abraxas's, the man was made to lean ever closer when he saw regret swimming in the pretty pools of blue. "I looked toward the voice and I saw Lucius, he was looking at me and then - then that _terrible_ person came out of the alley! They wrapped their arm around him and dragged him back into the alley even with Lucius twisting and fighting him all the while. I was frightened, sir.

"I tried to get Andromeda's attention, but I was so shocked I couldn't explain well and when I tried taking her to the alley it took a while because she was dragging her feet and everyone had stopped to watch Burke and Mulciber make a fool of the squib, so there were a lot of people to get past. By the time we got there, they weren't there anymore and I'm-" she covered her mouth. "I'm so  _sorry_ , Mister Abraxas! I should have  _done_ something more, I'm sure I could have screamed or-or-"

"Hush, Narcissa," Cygnus broke in. "You've done more than enough. You and Andromeda came home after seeing what you saw, you made me come home from work so you could tell me and look where we are now; we are at the Malfoys' home and because of that, he now knows what happened to his son."

If Abraxas wasn't busy going through all the things that could have happened to his son by now, he might have been surprised by Cygnus's comforting of his daughter. After all, he was not one known for commiserating with others.

"Did either of you inform the aurors of what you saw happen?" he demanded.

The father and daughter looked at him. "No, we decided that was up to you to decide if they should be called upon. It's well to my understanding you've created quite a few enemies among the law enforcement department as of late."

Abraxas paused at that. Yes, it was true. He had made enemies among them (and others) due to the fact somehow, despite his best efforts; he'd been tied to Leach's mysterious illness and his subsequent stepping down from office. But, if he reported his son's abduction surely they wouldn't hold his actions against his son? After all, the boy wasn't even fifteen. There was no way he could have helped Abraxas with anything he'd done and was still just a child.

He was a taken one, at that.

"I'll tell my fellows in the department," Tom declared. "Don't fear, Abraxas, they will take this seriously and we'll get your son back and we'll make those who dared to do this pay."

It was a relief to have the decision taken from him, but Abraxas wasn't done. "I want to help. I'm not leaving it just up to your people to handle this, after all, it's  _my_ son whose life is in trouble here."

"Of course, Abraxas," Tom agreed. "In fact, we'll all help, won't we?" he questioned looking at Nott and Cygnus as he spoke.

The two nodded gravely and with a wan smile, the blond thanked them. "Thank you, I don't know how I'll repay you all for this."

Red eyes glinting victoriously, Tom smiled slow and pleased, "Oh, I'm sure we'll find a way, Abraxas."

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Waking up was a slow process. First, a throbbing behind his temples let him know there was more than the blackness he'd previously been residing in and then, the constricting feeling that held him sitting upright told him he was bound to something - a chair. Next, despite the fact his memories stopped just after he left the girls and he didn't know what had happened since then or what he'd see upon opening them, Lucius made the decision to open his eyes.

What he found made him jump.

"What the bloody hell!?" he swore.

A child, probably seven or eight, frowned at him. "Those are bad words," he declared.

Ignoring the boy's remark, Lucius instead used his time to study himself and his location. From the ropes holding him to the chair, he bet someone had used a binding spell and the chances of him shimmying out of it were close to none. As for the room, it wasn't like what he might have expected. Unlike stories where kidnapped women found themselves in towers or in ones where prisoners of war woke to find they were chained up in a dungeon, Lucius could tell he was in someone's extra bedroom. There was a rather ornate bed, a little table beside him and the chair he was tied too and if he strained his neck, he could spy a wardrobe, mirror and even another door that likely led to a bathroom.

Whoever had kidnapped him had money and they appeared ready to keep him here for some time.

Lucius shivered.

"Hey," the boy huffed, his finger jabbing Lucius in the face.

Yanking away from the child, the teenager bared his teeth. "Shove off, you runt!"

Crossing his arms in a show of obstinance, the chid puffed out his cheeks and grumbled, "'m not a runt! Dad say'll I get big when I hit puberty - whatever that is."

Eyeing the child, Lucius asked, "Who's your dad?"

"It's-" the boy slapped both hands over his mouth and gave the teenager the second nastiest glare he'd ever gotten (the one he'd received from Arthur Weasley for jinxing his little brother still took the cake - even three years later). "That's bad! You can't ask for that! Then you'll get Dad in trouble."

Incredulous, Lucius curled his lips into an expression of disgust as he replied, "Well,  _duh_. If I get out of here and assuming he was the one to kidnap me, he was, wasn't he?"

"No! That was Mister Max - oops," the boy mumbled, face turning pink.

"Mister Max, you say?" the teenager smirked. "He wouldn't happen to be Adeline and Porter Max's father, would he?"

The boy stomped his foot. "You're mean! You're not supposed to be making fun of me! You're supposed to be scared n' stuff! I know I would be if  _your_ Dad took me!"

"That's because your an  _infant_ ," Lucius mocked. "Only _babies_ are afraid of a little kidnapping." That, of course, wasn't true. If this boy weren't so moronic and entertaining, Lucius  _would_ be scared. But, as it was, the child was distracting him far too much for his situation to really settle in yet.

Drawing from his pocket a wand, the boy shoved it right under the teenagers nose and declared, "If you don't stop being a prat, I'm going to use a Ducklifors jinx on you!"

"Hey, hey," Lucius muttered, shirking back so hard from the wand he imbalanced the chair and nearly caused himself to topple backwards. "No need for that," he told the boy as he flung his body forward to right the distribution of his weight as to stop himself from falling over. The last thing he wanted was for this brat to turn him into a duck, though, he highly doubted he'd be turned into a  _full_ duck. After all, this boy couldn't be more than eight.

Frowning, the child carefully tucked away the wand and went onto fiddle with his glasses. "Dad probably wouldn't care, either, you know. He says your father's a _scoundrel_."

"Does your Dad know you're in here with me?" Lucius asked. It didn't seem like the sort of thing a compete kidnapper would do, leaving his loose-lipped son in the same room as him. And if he had done it on purpose, Lucius wondered if he should feel insulted. Surely somebody like him, a  _Malfoy_ , deserved to be abducted by someone with more than half a brain.

The boy looked away. "...I might have borrowed Mummy's wand after I saw Dad use his to lock you up in here."

"So, your parents, did they do this together?" Lucius inquired, seeing if he could get anything more out of the boy.

"Nuh-huh," the child replied with a shake of his head. "Mummy refused to help, but she won't tell on him either, because it's shameful, what he's doing, she told him."

Lucius began to methodically tick through families he knew that had marital discourse and at least one child who was eight. There were at least four, though, he knew it couldn't be two of them because this boy was  _certainly_ not either of Narcissa's cousins, Sirius or Regulus - he looked nothing like her or any of her sisters. As for the other family Lucius knew it couldn't possibly be, he distinctly remembered their son having a fairly large and ugly birthmark that took up half his face.

That left two families for him to pick from, but Lucius didn't yet know enough to pick between the two. "Say, what's your name?" he asked the boy.

"Ja-" the boy stopped. Scowling deeply, he finally said, "I'm Jay."

Raising an eyebrow at the lie, Lucius made the decision to let it slide. That was enough, out of the two families, only one had a son with a name starting with J. That boy was James Potter and his father, Chad Potter, had kidnapped him.

Well, not exactly, it seemed the Max children's father had done the physical abducting. Letting his head fall back, Lucius closed his eyes and took a breath. How many had been involved? Somehow, he didn't think it was just those two.

"So, Jay, do you know when your Dad's coming back?"

The boy started to shake his head, however, before he could actually say anything, the doorknob to the room began to rattle. Eyes became orb-like behind his glasses, James dove beneath the bed.

Going stiff, Lucius held his breath as the door opened. The people who came into the room, though, were not all but strangers, but two men he knew quite well.

One was Mister Nott and the other, Mister Crabbe. But, that just couldn't  _be._  So, the question became what game were these kidnappers playing at?

If they were trying to fool him, Lucius already knew they were doing a poor job. Mister Nott drank too much to ever make a coherent plan for a kidnaping, never mind the fact he didn't have the time to. Mister Nott was quite busy with his own endeavors (mostly getting pissed, but still,) or helping Mister Riddle with his (which were the only times Mister Nott was ever sober).

And Mister Crabbe, he  _worked_ for Lucius's father. The man, as his father had always said, was not the smartest fellow, but he knew what he had and that was why he so unfailingly put up with the abuse Lucius's father occasionally heaped on him and the long hours. Mister Crabbe wasn't smart, but he knew enough that he had it good for a man like him.

There was a prestige that came with working for the Malfoys, after all.

"Hello, Lucius," the not-Mister Crabbe grinned.

It was strange seeing him smile so widely - even if it was not actually Mister Crabbe grinning. As long as the teenager had known the man, he'd only had two expressions, grim seriousness and half-lidded contentment.

Stepping in front of him, the far too sober looking impostor Mister Nott, told the not-Mister Crabbe, "Don't tease the lad."

"Oh, poo, that's only fun we're going to get out of this, though," the other grumbled.

Raising an eyebrow, Lucius decided now was the time to tell them they weren't fooling him. "I know you aren't Mister Crabbe and Mister Nott, you know."

The impostor Nott nodded. "It's good to see Abraxas hasn't raised a fool, at least. It's Polyjuice, son, and that's the only way you're going to be seeing any of us. I'm sure you understand why."

Wearily, Lucius agreed. "Yessir," he said.

"Good."

Looking between them, he asked, "Am I going to be here long?"

"You'll have to wait and see, it's up to your father, after all," the not-Mister Crabbe declared.

Lucius frowned. He didn't like the sound of that - at all. He didn't know what they wanted from his father, obviously not money, but what else could they take from him? Besides their fortune, several family heirlooms and their Apothecary line, they really didn't have much to take.

"What's my father have to do?" Lucius inquired.

The pair's features darkened considerably at the question. "Either he has to fix what he did, or he has to confess to doing it," the impostor Nott replied.

"Malfoys don't give into blackmail," the teenager recited without thinking.

Not-Mister Crabbe and impostor Mister Nott laughed uproariously. "I think you'll find that to be false, lad," the not-Crabbe smirked.

Lucius glowered. He did not like being laughed at. It didn't happen often, and when it did, Lucius always made sure the one who did the laughing paid for it. He didn't know how, yet, but he was going to figure out all of those who'd been involved in his kidnapping and he was going to tell his father. Lucius's father would make sure they paid for not only laughing, but for everything else as well.

Abruptly, the spell tying him to the chair was cancelled.

Shooting up, Lucius took a step toward the pair, but the not-Crabbe raised his wand. "Don't think about it, lad."

"I'm not an idiot," the teenager snapped.

The impostor Nott gave him an unkind smile. "No, I don't think you are," he agreed. "I'll be having a house elf bring you food and you will be allowed to remain unbound as long as you don't try and do anything stupid.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Like I can, without a wand," he grumbled.

The two laughed some more.

"We just came by to untie you, but one of us will be by again later to take a list of things you'd like to have to entertain yourself while you're here," not-Mister Crabbe explained.

"I'll need a quill and parchment for that, don't you agree?" Lucius sneered.

Impostor Nott conjured them with ease and put them on the table. "We'll be back in a couple hours," he said.

Not saying anything, the teenager watched them walk out of the room and felt the pressure of the locking spells engage as the door clicked behind them.

Looking to the bed then, Lucius questioned, "Will you be coming out now?"

The child crawled out. The teenager pounced.

"No!" James screamed, wriggling in Lucius's arms as he tried to get a hold on him long enough to wrench the wand from his grip.

Grabbing the boy's wrist, Lucius was about to wrap his fingers around the wand when a foot connected with his groin. Crumpling, he gave a low moan as the child shoved the wand into his face. "I'll hex ya, if you do that again!" he hissed.

Huffing loudly, the boy turned his back and opened the door - leaving Lucius alone for the first time since he'd woken.

Sitting on the ground, still in pain, Lucius wondered what kind of locking charm had been put on the door if James had so easily walked out. Was it one that keyed in the wand upon the caster using the spell? Or, did it recognize magical signatures? Getting up, Lucius slowly walked over to the door and put his hand on the doorknob.

Upon trying to twist it, it gave him a nasty shock.

"Ah!" he yelped.

Falling back, the teenager scowled and hoped that James's curiosity would bring him back soon.

He'd do anything to get out of here before his father had to prove the Malfoy creed wrong by giving into blackmail to get Lucius back.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Cornered off in one of the smaller, more minimalist rooms he preferred to use on company he didn't want, but had to have, Abraxas stared despondently out the large picture window. He didn't like this, he didn't want to sit here and be  _questioned,_  while his son was who-knows-where alone with enemies.

Just as Abraxas began to watch a pair of peacocks begin to titter at one another and recall a moment from long ago when Lucius had been chased by the brazen creatures, he was jarred from his thoughts be a sharp and far too loud question.

"So, do you have any enemies?"

Turning his head, Abraxas raised an eyebrow at the idiotic Auror who'd come to interview him.

The Auror - a young woman, probably no more then twenty-five - flushed at his displeased expression and muttered, "Right." Taking a breath, she began again very seriously, "Do you have some names of ones who'd go so far as to kidnap your son?"

"It's not something I've ever thought too deeply on," he admitted begrudgingly, "But, I guess there are several. Sanjay Parvati swore he'd shame me as I shamed his family and sister after I, ah, had a brief  _romance_ with his sister before marrying Missus Malfoy. Randolph Prewett said 'I'd get mine one day' after I caused him to be passed over for a promotion at the Ministry, then there was the time as a schoolboy I pushed a muggleborn, Alex Peterson, into the lake and he declared he'd get me back, though, I'm not sure if he'd be involved in this as I think I recall him spelling my hair red once..."

Looking back to the young woman's face, Abraxas frowned. "Is this really necessary? There are at least another fifteen I could name and - what are you doing?"

The young lady had looked down and was now scribbling away in her notepad. Lifting her face to meet his once more, she pushed the journal at him. "Just write them all down in a list of most likely to least likely for me, then. It'll go quite a bit quicker that way, wouldn't you agree?"

Abraxas did. Taking it, he wrote them down and gave it back to her. "I expect to hear from you by this evening," he told her.

"Of course, sir," the Auror agreed as she stood back up. "If my partners and I split this between us, I think we should be done by then. Well, we will be if none of them prove themselves to be suspicious." Tucking the notepad away in a pocket on her belt, she remarked, "And if that happens, I'll ensure that someone notifies you straight away."

Nodding, Abraxas thanked her. "Yes, that will do very well. Thank you." After he finished with the rest of the pleasantries that came with saying goodbye, he saw her off to the floo in the other room.

Before she left, the young woman paused. "Sir, we'll get him back, okay? Just trust us," she told him, her aquiline features softening with sincerity.

Abraxas wanted to spit on her, on her pity. "I expect you to do your best," he replied instead with a hint of distrust lacing his words.

He didn't believe her. Abraxas didn't -  _couldn't_ \- believe this inexperienced Auror and her likely just as dull counterparts would find his son, but he would trust them to rule out the impossibilities. Once he had that done for him, it was only a matter of finding those who most likely kidnapped his son and either torturing the answer out of them or using a bit of the veritaserum he kept among his stores of potions.

He liked to be prepared and it was easy enough for him to make the potion when he owned an apothecary line.

Seemingly unhappy with his attitude, the Auror imparted, "You know, if you don't believe me, the fellows are at the spot where your son was taken. If you like, I'm sure they'd allow you to watch them work for a time. I feel you'd see then we are going to do just as I've sworn we will."

Nodding, he said, "I think I will take you up on that suggestion."

Abraxas wanted to see for himself where his son had been taken from.

"I'll send them a quick owl when I get back to the office," the woman told him before finally taking her leave.

Falling back into a chair placed near the hearth after her departure, Abraxas rubbed his forehead and wondered if a pain reliever would be a good idea to get rid of the ache behind his temple.

-v-v-v-v-v-

Gaze wandering the alley way that Narcissa Black claimed her son was dragged into before he disappeared, Abraxas frowned. It was a dirty little place, trash and rotting crates the only sign anything living had used the area in the last several months. Abruptly, a man's gruff voice broke the quiet of the dark area.

"I'm picking up a magical signature, but it's quite faint," he said.

Glowering at the Auror, who he was certain was the one that worked for Tom, Abraxas muttered, "As should be expected, wouldn't you say? Miss Black did say my son was dragged here before he disappeared completely. Other than apparition and portkey, I don't know how else he would have travelled with my son. Broom would not have been feasible for obvious reasons."

The Auror, who had told him about the magical signature gave, him a mulish look that spoke volumes as to how he felt about Abraxas's addition to his investigating. Glaring right back, Abraxas strode forward and growled, "Get back to work! I  _know_ you're getting a nice stipend on the side for giving Mister Riddle what he wants from your office!"

After a sharp frown and glance to his partner who was busily taking photos, the Auror did. Though, Abraxas was made to roll his eyes as the Suror did so. He was deliberately taking his time on his tasks just to irk him. It made him want to yell and scream and rage at him, after all, maybe Abraxas was being an arse, but it was his  _son's_ life at risk. A boy's life.

It was cruel of the Auror to be behaving as he was, but the man was sure if he said anything, the other would further bungle things - if only to get back at Abraxas.

Exhaling sharply through his teeth, Abraxas took a sweeping look around the alley way one last time before turning to face the bustling street passing it by. He wondered if the squib had been planted, he wondered if the Burke and Mulciber lads hadn't been paid to hassle the disgusting piece of filth. He wondered if it'd been his son at all who'd called out to Miss Black.

There were so many questions in need of answering and he was far too overwhelmed to even know where to start. Nor did he know what to believe.

Looking back over his shoulder, Abraxas sneered. He wasn't expecting much out of these men. The one, maybe even both, may work for Tom, but that wasn't proof of intelligence per-say. Some were paid handsomely to give his business partner what he wanted, others worked for him because they believed as he did, a few did it for lust of adventure and to sate sadistic desires.

Abraxas was no idiot, he knew what Tom was doing in his off time. He was building a little army all his own and was already using the most eager and supportive of his soldiers to start waging his little war against wizarding society. He couldn't say he agreed with the method, razing mudblood homes, killing muggles and attacking propionates for Squib, mudblood and creature rights; but Abraxas preferred it to the alternative.

Lips twisting cruelly, he muttered, "Damn mudbloods and their bloody  _ideas_."

He knew who was to blame for putting ideas in squibs heads, he knew who was to blame for Leach's instatement in office, for Grindelwald's failure. It was the idiots who thought there were things to _learn_ from the muggles. It was ridiculous! Those apes had nothing on their world and the fact some near suicidal mudbloods were trying to integrate theirs with the muggles was mad, it would never work - it shouldn't even be  _attempted._

It was really not so long ago that they were hung and burned and drowned for their magic. If the muggles in any large scale were given the indication that witches and wizards were alive and well in a world beside theres, what would they do? They'd attempt to kill them all, just as they had all those years ago.

Out of jealousy or fear, who knew? Though, Abraxas felt it'd be a mix of both.

The fact that Tom was trying to save them from that was admirable. Even if Abraxas didn't like the methods, he could approve of his attempt to preserve their home, its people and their way of life.

It was more than  _some_ people were doing. But, Abraxas didn't have time to brood on any of that. His son was missing -  _taken_.

Rubbing his face with the heel of his hand, he staggered off to join the lively streets of Diagon Alley. It was too cheery for him, but there were already signs up letting people know of his son's kidnapping. Mothers were keeping their children close and young friends did not let each other wander out of one another's sight.

It felt heartening and futile at the same time. Abraxas was almost certain his son's abduction hadn't been random. After all, what idiot would take the Malfoy heir? Only one who was hoping to gain something from it.

After walking around for a short while, he decided his brooding would be better accomplished at home, rather than on the far too upbeat street.

Disapparating where he stood, it was moments later he landed just outside the Malfoy Manor's anti-apparition wards. Walking onto his family's land and toward his home, he spied an owl coming toward his home from overhead.

Curious and hopeful, Abraxas picked up speed.

Coming into his home, he wasted no time in going to his study where he saw the owl waiting for him. Eying the creature, Abraxas frowned, it held a single envelope in its black beak. Stalking forward, he held out his hand to the bird and accepted it greedily as it was dropped into his waiting hand.

Ripping the letter open, he read the content over several times.

_If you wish to see your son alive, confess to your part in Leach's stepping down to the reporter Ashton Fenetre of the Daily Prophet. You have three days._

Balling the paper up Abraxas threw it across the room with a loud curse. It was ridiculous! If they wanted to out him as a villain, why did they not do it themselves?

His  _child_ did not need to be dragged into his messes. Lucius was yet a boy, he did not know of all that Abraxas did and to kill his innocent son for his actions seemed not nearly as righteous as these people must feel they were. Heaving angrily, Abraxas put together a plan for himself. If he could not figure out where his son was or who had taken him in the next three days, he would go see this reporter, he would confess. However, he would  _only_ do it then. Before that, Abraxas was going to try his damnedest to keep his indiscretions private while searching for where his son had been taken to.

And if in the process one of their kind ended up dead, Abraxas would feel it was more than justified.

 


	5. V

Pacing by the window again, Lucius swung a sharp right when it came to to turn back around to go the other way. Passing by the table where he'd been keeping the books his kidnappers brought him, Lucius wondered if it would be time for lunch, soon. He was getting quite hungry and the clock they'd given him said it was almost one in the afternoon.

Since he had found himself here two days ago, he'd come to expect promptness in their visits to deliver his meals. The fact they were nearly an hour late made him wonder. Had his father caved into their demands? Was the place he was being held under attack? Both options were plausible, he knew. The room was highly warded and he had no doubts they kept a silencing charm on it from the outside. As for his father giving in, while he didn't want to believe it possible...They'd been quite sure that his father would prove the Malfoy creed wrong.

Could they have been right?

Shaking his head violently, Lucius told himself off for his turncoat thought,  _no, they were wrong! They don't know Dad like you, you daft sod_!

That was true, Lucius was sure. They  _didn't_ know his father as he did. His kidnappers had never been with his father in any true capacity. They had not been there to witness him after his mother's death. They hadn't been there to watch his father bring Lucius close and push him away concurrently.

They didn't know how his father would sometimes look at him with an indescribable gleam in his eye before he'd ask, "You'll do the Malfoy name proud, won't you, son?"

Lucius hadn't yet found a way to answer that question, but, maybe, this event would help him to. Especially since it looked like his father would have to drag their name through the mud to get him home again.

The teenager was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of the bedroom door opening. Taking a step forward, he watched with leery anticipation.

Instead of the not-Crabbe or fake Nott coming through the door, though, the little boy from the first day came through. Lucius went taut, ready to run through the door, but the child already seemed to have anticipated that.

"You look like the cat when I open the garden door," James said as he raised what Lucius bet was his mother's wand. "You better back up before I hex ya," he declared.

Reluctantly, Lucius did so. Even if no one would be here to witness it, the embarrassment of getting hexed by a little boy was too much for him to stand. If that were to happen, he knew he'd lose his ambivalence toward this child and all he'd feel was contempt - as he felt for James's father and for Max.

Closing the door behind him, Lucius reluctantly relaxed as he moved to take a seat at the table. "Where's your father?" he asked James.

"Dad's working," the boy proclaimed. "He'll be home tonight."

Bitterly, Lucius crossed his arms and muttered, "So, he didn't think I needed to be fed while he was gone?"

James skipped over, taking a seat in the chair across from him. "Mummy's supposed to give you lunch," he explained. "But I think she forgot, 'cause she's been sleeping on the sofa for a while now."

"Oh?" Lucius replied with a raised eyebrow. "Have you tried to wake her?"

The child bobbed his head up and down as he began to sort through all of Lucius's books. "Yeah, but she wouldn't," he answered. "I think she took one of those sleep potions 'cause she hasn't been sleeping good for the last couple days."

Propping his head in his chin, the teenager asked, "How do you know that?"

"Her eyes are all swollen and purple-y," the boy babbled as he helped his poor description by pointing at his own eyes to let Lucius know where they were purple and swollen.

Smiling, Lucius made to stand up. Keeping his body fluid and relaxed, he went over to the bed and picked up the deck of cards he'd requested. Shuffling them as he walked to and fro, he kept up the conversation with the boy.

"Does she take the potion often?"

"No, well, sometimes? Only when Dad's doing something naughty or dangerous - like kidnapping you."

Letting his mouth quirk upward with grim amusement, Lucius inquired, "Does he do a lot of naughty things?"

"No!" the boy shouted. "And it isn't even so bad that he took you, you're dad's bad, so mine's just punishing him. Sort of like when my mummy took my broom for flying in the house."

Lucius laughed. "Is that how your reasoning it to yourself? You know, lad, it's okay to let yourself acknowledge dad's doing something bad. Blind hero-worship will only get you in trouble."

"My dad  _is_ a hero! He fights bad wizards an' witches like your dad!"

Less than an arm's distance from the child now, Lucius keeps up his vague smile as his hands shoot out to grab the boy. Heaving him up, Lucius did his best to keep a strong hold on him as James bucked and screamed. Feeling the boy allover, he found the wand he had and snatched it.

Dropping James, he yelled, " _Stupefy!_ "

The boy went rigid and then, limp as he fell into unconsciousness. Staring at him for a long moment, Lucius debated what to do with the boy. Did he take him with? The boy would be an excellent way to reap retribution on his father, but...

Would Lucius's father approve?

Lucius didn't think so. His father had always been of the mindset that you dealt with the person causing a problem directly, not through roundabout ways, such as slandering their sister or killing their lover. If anything, Lucius bet his father would be furious with him if he brought James Potter home.  _He_ hadn't done anything wrong, after all. It was his father who'd taken Lucius and imprisoned him.

Decision made, he left the child where lay on the ground and went to the door. He eyed it for all of the second before grabbing the knob, when it did not hurt, Lucius threw it open with all of the joy of a man just released from Azkaban.

Once out in the hall, the teenager wasted no time in finding a way out. It took several minutes and several wrong turns through the many bright and wide hallways, but, eventually, he came upon the kitchen. Nervously looking around, he went forward when he saw no one and heard nothing. If this was like his kitchen, the fireplace would be connected to the floo network.

Looking for the floo powder, Lucius was about to give up and go looking for another room with a hearth when the flames shot to life in the one in front of him. Freezing, the teenager's heart began to hammer away in his chest. There wasn't time to get away and just as he managed to get his feet working again, Chad Potter stepped out.

The bespectacled man looked at him, surprise evident. Reaching for the wand he'd stolen, Lucius jabbed it in the man's direction.

" _Stu-_ "

" _Expelliarmus! Stupefy!"_

As darkness flooded his vision, Lucius murmured, "N-no..."

-v-v-v-v-v-

Hurtling into reality, Lucius almost gasped at the sudden awareness of the world around him, but he managed to stop himself just in time. There was a woman screaming. She was shouting insults, slurs, accusations.

A man's voice roared back in a deep baritone intermediately, however, whatever he was saying often ended up being drowned out by the woman's rising pitch in her screaming.

Trying to capture what they were saying, Lucius slowly turned from his side to his back - giving both of his ears a chance to hear without obstruction. But it didn't matter, the woman's shrills didn't seem to contain any words and the man's shouts were always too guttural to discern any language from.

Suddenly, the woman's shrieking was cut off by the sound of a loud crack. Lucius almost winced. He knew that kind of crack, it was the kind made by flesh meeting flesh.

" _JUST LISTEN!"_

He couldn't stop himself from flinching at the raw anger and volume of the man's howl. A beat later, the man began to speak again. His voice wasn't the rage-powered pitch it'd been just seconds before, yet it was still loud.

"Jen, listen for a moment, would you? This isn't the end of anything. I'm not about to be arrested, our son isn't about to be ostracized for having his father in jail and you aren't going to have to leave the country to escape the public's hard eye. I'll call Brown and let her know things have taken a turn, her husband works for St. Mungo's. I'm sure he'll know somebody we can talk to about obliviating Lucius - James too, if you want him to forget about this all."

A thick, teary voice warbled, "You underestimated both of them. You said James wouldn't ever catch on that there as something was afoot and you  _swore_ Malfoy's son would never  _ever_ be able to get out of the room."

"I did," Mister Potter conceded. "I've promised you a lot of things - and not just concerning this, haven't I always found a way to fix it?"

A quietness followed, and it proved to only make Lucius uneasy. Surely if Mister Potter had, his wife would have agreed already? Or had she agreed silently? Were they holding each other? Had she disagreed by simply leaving him standing alone? Lucius didn't  _know_ and he so badly wanted to get up and find them just so he could...

"No."

Lucius breathed in sharply, and realized he wasn't the only one either in the same moment. Beside him, he'd heard another's breath hitch. Turning his head, he opened his eyes just enough to peer through his lashes and realize he'd been laid out beside James. Opening his eyes fully, he gave the child a nudge.

The boy's eyes opened and Lucius was surprised by the fear he saw in them. Did he know something Lucius didn't? Or had he never heard his parents fight like this before? He wanted to ask, but he was fearful of the attention it could draw if he tried. His inner debate was interrupted by James's mother's sudden follow-up.

"No, you haven't," Missus Potter declared, voice strong and angry once more. "There is so much you have yet to fix! Half of which you refuse to acknowledge is broken, and I will not stay here to see it continue to happen. I will be taking my leave tonight, Chad. I will go stay with my aunt and when you come to your senses and realize you're playing with fire by keeping that boy in the other room, owl me."

"Jen?"

"What!"

More silence followed and Lucius wondered if Mister Potter was going to kill his wife for her audaciousness. "You aren't taking James, are you?" Potter asked in a small, quiet voice.

He could hear Missus Potter sigh audibly. "No," she replied. "James would only hate me for taking him away from you."

"You will be coming home, then?" Mister Potter followed, tone urgent and pleading.

Something that sounded like a kiss reached Lucius's ears. "Yes, I will be. I'm too much of a fool in love to stay away for long."

"I love you too, Jennifer," Mister Potter replied.

Closing his eyes once more, Lucius exhaled in relief. The fight was over and for a few more minutes, he and James would be left alone. Thinking on everything, he reminded himself he was quite lucky Mister Potter hadn't killed him when he was trying to escape and had no plan to do so now that he was back in the room he had started in. If anything, what Lucius needed to worry about was his coming obliviation and how to escape both that and the Potter's manor altogether.

Glancing to Mister Potter's son once more, Lucius wondered if he would not be the key.


	6. VI

Once again in his study with company on the other side of his desk, Abraxas began to fume. Getting up from his desk Abraxas paced back and forth for several moments before coming to a pause beside the windows that overlooked his gardens. Staring out them, he thought of the days when Lucius was young and his wife was alive and how he would watch them together.

He knew, If he were asked, if he would condone a son making flower-crowns, Abraxas knew he would gravely proclaim that he wouldn't. But...if he were to find a son making one, he would not stop them. The way his wife used to smile when Lucius made her one to wear was too beautiful and lovely for him to ever scold his son (or anyone's, for that matter,) for partaking in a feminine past time.

Pushing away from the window, Abraxas sent Tom a glare as he began his pacing anew. "It has been almost three days, Tom! Your Aurors turned up  _nothing_ with the names I gave them! I cannot just sit here idly any longer!" he griped.

Tracking his every step with his gaze, Tom swirled his finger in his glass of scotch as he reminded Abraxas, "It's not over, Abraxas. Even if my connections are extensive, they can only go so deep in such an extensive is also why they may not be as speedy as you wish them to be. However, you must be able to recognize they've covered more people than you possibly ever could have on your own."

Bringing his hands together, Tom then leveled him with a look that spoke volumes. "Now, instead of letting your ire out on  _me,_ the one giving you access to all of these special services, I suggest you take a seat and do as my people have asked you. Write down more names and give them to them," he ordered.

Stopping mid-step, Abraxas turned to face his associate fully. Staring open-mouthed at the man, he argued, "You cannot be  _serious_ , Tom! You wish me to just  _sit_ here? Never! No! This is my  _son_! My  _heir_ who's life is on the line. If your people can't see this urgency and pick up speed with the days ticking by faster and faster, I don't  _want_ their help! I'll find Lucius on my own! And quicker than your people ever could!"

Eyes narrowed into little more than slits, Tom hissed, "Fine. Find him yourself. Just remember, you've  _already_ accepted my help. If I come calling for a return favor, you will  _not_ deny me it!"

Reaching for his wand, Abraxas squeezed it in a death grip as he roared, "Just leave!"

Getting up, Tom smoothed down his robes and walked with an unhurried gait to the Floo. There, he took a handful of powder and stepped into the hearth. Turning around to stare at Abraxas, he said, "Good day, Abraxas, I will see you soon." And then, he threw down the powder as he shouted his destination. A moment later, he was gone.

"Argh!" Abraxas howled as he shot hexes at the portraits and paintings hanging on his walls. Throwing down his wand when he was done, he went through his study, meticulously tossing out everything from his shelves and destroying anything that could be easily broken.

When his room was finally in shambles, Abraxas went back to his desk where he picked his chair off the ground and put it upright again. Taking a seat now that his rage was gone, he ran a hand through his hair. Sitting still for several minutes, he thought of nothing in particular. When his mind started putting coherent ideas together once again, Abraxas came to a decision.

He would go to Nobby Leach's home.

It was his stepping down that had caused his son's kidnapping and maybe, if not the culprit himself, Leach would have a clue to which of his supporters was.

This was the last route he would have picked, but with time moving so quickly, Abraxas knew he had to make his move now or never. It was not just his pride or reputation hanging in the balance anymore, it was Lucius's, his  _son's,_ life that was in danger.

-v-v-v-v-v-

Walking up to the small, quaint country home, Abraxas stopped at the half-opened dutch door and rapped his fingers along its frame several times. A few moments later, a fairly small woman with an apron tied around her waist appeared.

Her sun-browned face was uneasy as she wiped her hands down her apron. "Hello there, Mister Malfoy," she greeted. "How can I help you?"

Staring past her and into the home, Abraxas saw a small face poke out from the next room. Dark eyes going very large once they realized Abraxas had spotted them, they disappeared. However, two different faces revealed themselves only moments later. The older of the faces wore a suspicious furrow to his brows, but the other...Abraxas's heart stuttered at the fear he saw in the child's gray gaze.

Had Lucius looked the same when he was stolen from the street? Throat tightening, Abraxas felt it was best he not know nor dwell on the possibility. Letting himself be wracked with guilt would not help him in successfully locating Lucius. Forcing his gaze back to the children's mother, he said, "Leach's wife said he was away for the day. Is he here?"

"Yes," she answered. "He's in back."

Nodding, Abraxas asked, "I suppose you would appreciate it if I went around the long way instead of through your home?"

Some of the tension eased out of her shoulders at his very generous offer. "If you don't mind, Mister Malfoy. The children-"

"-don't need to be bothered," he agreed.

Stepping back, he turned around and started to walk toward the back.

"Mister Malfoy!"

Abraxas turned his head.

Fingers bunched in her apron, the woman asked, "You haven't changed your mind on outing him, have you?"

"No," Abraxas answered. Or, he hadn't yet, anyway. If Leach failed to give him what he needed now...Well, Abraxas was going to reveal everything. That'd show not only him, but the bastards who'd taken his son what happened when you messed with Malfoys. You could ruin them, but they wouldn't be falling from grace alone.

Her lips lifted in a hesitant smile as she sighed. "Thank you, sir!" she called after him.

Abraxas did not deign to give her a reply. After all, in just a little while, he  _could_ change his mind.

Coming into the backyard, Abraxas found himself impressed despite himself. He'd always made sure his own home and lawn were kept at peak condition, but there was something about the backyard that he knew his could never match. It was... _charming_. The yard was a lush green with two very large and old trees standing tall on either side of it. The bases of the trees were gnarled and scar-worn from their long lives, but even still they stood strong; a true testament to the power of nature. He could also hear a brooke burbling somewhere nearby and Abraxas noted that it was likely behind the blooming lilac bushes - as might be Leach, seeing as he was no where in plain sight.

Tramping across the lawn, he found an opening among the bushes and pushed through it. It only took a moment longer to spy the broad back of Leach by the creak. Walking over, he took a long look at the ground before deciding that meeting Leach on his terms was more important than ruining his clothes.

Gracefully seating himself on the grass, Abraxas greeted, "Good day Leach."

"Not so good anymore," he muttered gruffly as he tucked away what appeared to be a pocket knife and bit of wood.

Holding back a scowl, Abraxas kept his features relaxed and nonthreatening as he said, "I'm sure you've heard about my son."

Leach gave an ugly snort. "Of course," he grumbled. "It's all over the papers.  _Missing_ _! The Malfoy heir taken from Diagon Alley._ "

"Do you know why?" he questioned the other man, careful to see if he was involved or in contact with those who were responsible for his son's kidnapping.

His head turned, revealing the blasé expression he wore on his acne-scarred face fully. "Because you're a right git?" he jabbed.

Fighting down the urge to hex the man before him, Abraxas honed his anger into the dark, deep force that always managed to scare even the most hardened men when faced with it. " _Listen to me_ ," he hissed. "I am not here to be insulted by a piece of no good  _filth_ like you. I am here to ask if you know who took my son and if you know, I  _highly_ suggest you tell me before it's  _your_ family that's on the front page of The Daily Prophet!"

Face having paled considerably, Leach hurriedly said, "I don't know anything! Certainly no more than you!"

Grabbing at the man, Abraxas growled, " _Think_ , Leach. I know the kind you surround yourself with. They are the type that give themselves away without even realizing it. As for you, you're a cut above, aren't you? Otherwise all those daft fellows wouldn't listen to a word you have to say. So, again,  _think_!"

Eyes wild with panic, Leach opened and closed his mouth several times. Finally, something sparked in his eyes. Leaning in close, Abraxas waited with bated breath for what the man would have to say.

"He said he'd make sure you got what was coming to you. I didn't know what he meant, but I never would have thought...he's such a  _righteous_ man..." Leached trailed off, gaze becoming distant

"Even the righteous can commit heinous acts if they think it is for the good," Abraxas reminded him. "Now,  _who_ said this?"

A sad frown on his face, Leach shook his head. "I don't know if he meant it, but it was Chad Potter who told me."

The smile that eclipsed his face was jagged and full of dangerous points. "Potter, you say?" he murmured. "Well, I suppose I'll have to see about paying him a visit, won't I?"

Standing up, he warned Leach, "I hope you'll have the sense to keep this little meeting between the two of us, Leach. After all, it really would be a shame to see the pretty little faces of your children on the Prophet's front page, wouldn't it?"

"I have more than enough sense," Leach snapped. "If that's all you wanted, you can go."

Laughing, Abraxas grinned, far too giddy with this new information to be bothered by his fellow wizard's uncouth behavior. "Now, now, no need to get snippy. I'm off, ta, Leach!" And stepping out from behind the bushes, he flashed the three young faces watching him from the window a victorious smirk before apparating away.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think with a comment/kudo!


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